Filing device



Dec. 24, 1929. J, c, s L 1,741,119

FILING DEVICE Original Filed Sept. 2- 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fizz/ergo?"003% J. c. SEYL.

FILING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 2. 1921 w e n net,and includes also adapted for filing generally,

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH CONRAD SEYL,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FILING DEVICE Original application filed September2, 1921, Serial No. 497,924. Divided and this application filed June 18,1926. Serial No. 116,792.

5 which are selt-accommodatory with the variations in the total amountof material to be filed within the cabinet and with the varia tions inthe amounts of the material to be filed within different portions of thecabithe concept of enr bodying such general arrangement as contemplatedby me in existing cabinets as an attachment.

\Vhile I have referred to my invention as and more particularly forfiling cabinets, it will be understood that certain phases of myinvention have a wide field of utility in connection withinstrumentalities forsorting and filing Various materials.

Among the more important objects of my invention are the provision of anassembly for holding papers and other objects to be sorted or filed insuch sorted or filed rela 5 tionship, which assembly may be introducedinto sections, which sections may be variably dimensioned at the topwithin predetermined limits, and more particularly one wherein thebottoms of the sections are of fixed dimension; the provision of asorting or filing cabinet in which the material to be sorted or filed issegregated into sections, which sections are defined by walls at leastone of which is variable angularly within predetermined limits; theprovision of devices so characterized which are susceptible of variationto compensate for difierent drawer lengths; the provision of devicesotthe nature referred to which are provided wlth a series of pocketswhich may be readily removed; together with such further objects as maybe hereinafter pointed outor as may so appear.

In attaining the objects suggested as well as certain further benefitsand advantages to.

be below disclosed, I have provided a construction, certain embodimentsof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view showing one embodiment of myimproved sorting or filing assembly in position in a drawer of a filingcabinet.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure of Figure 1,taken on the line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View thereof, taken on the line 33 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figures 4 and 4 are tragmentar views similar to Figures 3 and 2,respectively, illustrative of a modified detail of construction;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are a group of views similar to those of Figures 1, 2and 3, illustrative of a modified form of assembly.

Referring first more particularly to the group of views of Figures 1, 2and 3. itwill be noted that I have here illustrated as generallyindicated at 10 a filling cabinet drawer of a known type having the sidewalls 11, 12, a rear wall 13 and a front 14 provided with a drawer pull15.

The type of drawer illustrated is provided with a bottom 16, having thecentral longitudinal slot 17, in which is received a center rod 18,passing through the front 14 and supported at its rear by the housing 19carried by the rear wall 13.

My invention is directed, among other things, to the provision of asorting or filing assembly which may be placed in position in astock-type of drawer for filing cabinets, such for example as has beenillustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

This assembly is shown in position in such figures and as there showncomprises generally the side walls 20, 21 of such shape and dimensionsas adapt them to be positioned parallel with and adjacent to the sidewaIls 11 and 12 of the drawer 10, the strips 22 and 23 arranged to bepositioned longitudinally of the drawer 10 on either side of the slot 17and the cross-pieces 24 secured to the strips 22, 23.

These strips 24 are arranged in spaced groups of two for purposes whichwill presently appear.

The assembly further comprises the partition members 25 each secured inposition in the assembly between the members of a pair of cross-pieces24 by means of the hinge structures generally indicated at 26, so as topermit the partition 25 to move angularly in either direction about thehinge 26.

For cooperation with the type of drawer here illustrated, which isfurnished with the slot 17 and center rod 18, each partition 25 isprovided with a depending tab 38, having a opening 39 through which therod 18 extends, said opening being slightly larger than the rod topermit vertical displacement of the partition. These en ar ed openingsin the tabs, together with the cross-pieces 24 which limit thelongitudinal displacement of t e pa tions o he rods 18, prevent thebinding of the partitions and at the same time permit the projections 28at the upper edges thereof to move along at edges 40 of the receptacle.

For limiting this angular movement of the partition 25 to and fro, Iemploy limit stops which in the embodiment illustrated take the form ofthe cutaway portions 27 in the walls 20 and 21 of the assembly, and theprojections'28 which extend oppositely from the partitions 25 into thecutaway portions 27 and rest on the lower edges of the latter.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have provided thepartitions 25 with the projections 28 by securing over the upper marginof each partition the reflexively bent member 29 preferably of metal ofgenerally U-form in cross-section, which member 29 is longer than thewidth of the partitions 25 and therefore when centrally positioned willafford the necessary projections 28 into the cutaway portions 27.

Additionally, the strips 29 will protect and reinforce those uppermargins of the partitions 25.

Upon viewing Figure 2, it will be perceived that the cutaway portions 27in the side walls 20 and 21 are each limited by the end ma'rgins 31, 32which are shown as sloping in opposite directions so as to properlycoact with the extensions 28 of the partitions 25 as the partitions moveto and fro to their extreme positions in opposite directions.

In the practical use of this embodiment of my present invention. theassemblv which I have just described may be placed bodily in the drawer10 with sides 20 and 21 of the assembly preferably in contact with theside Walls 11 and 12 of the drawer 10, and with the members 22 and 23positioned preferably against the bottom 18 of the drawer 10. When theside members 20 and 21 are made they are cut the proper length for thedrawer into which they are to be inserted, and preferably snugly fitbetween the end walls 13 and 14 of such drawer, though if the sidemembers are of slightly less length than that of the drawer the devicewill continue to function properly. These side members cannot bedisplaced outwardly because of the side walls of the drawer and are heldagainst inward displacement by the partitions 25. Material upwarddisplacement of the side members is prevented by the extensions 28 onthe partitions, and the cooperation of the rod 18 with the members 22and 23 and adjustable frictional holding members 37 serves to retain thewhole device as an assembly from displacement in the drawer.

For the purpose of accommodating the assembly to variations in thelength of the drawer and for frictionally securing parts of the assemblyin position in the box, I have provided the members 22, 23 adjacent toone end with the extensions 33, 34 variably secured thereto by means ofengaging lingers 35 engaging suitable ones of a number of apertures 36in the extensions.

Upon viewing Figure 2, it will be manifest that the members 33 and 34,which are preferably made of spring material, are each provided with theupturned portions 37 and 36 respectively so that when adequatelyextended they will frictionally engage the rear wall 13 of the drawer10.

It will be thus seen that with the assembly in position as described, Ihave in fact prcivided a filing device in which segregated sections areformed by the partitions, and as these partitions have their lowermargins hinged in predetermined spaced relation, the bottom of thepockets will remain of a constant width and will occupy a fixed positionin the drawer 10.

Due, however, to the side-swinging move ment of these partitions 25 theupper and open mouth of each section will vary in width as thepartitions swing relatively one to the other.

On inspection of Figure 2 it will be seen that the maximum width of themouth is limited by the distant margins of the adjacent cutaway portions27 and the minimum separation is limited by the proximate margins of theadjacent cutaway portions 27 As a result of this, the mouth of eachsection, on the one hand, is always maintained open so that material maybe placed therein or located and removed therefrom without Clllllcult-y,and at the same time the mouth of no section can become soextended as toimpair or unfavorably affect the function ofthedevice.

Furthermore, in the specific embodiment shown in these Figures 1, 2 and3, the partitions 25 will be supported in the desired vertical positionby the coaction of the upper and lower ends of the partitions 25 withthe lower margin 10 of the cutaway portion 27 and with the cross-pieces24 of the lower portion of the assembly.

It will thus be seen that the partitions 25 which are preferably made ofcardboard will be supported against collapse or buckling andconsequently will not only support the files or other flexible materialin the pockets against collapse, but will also permit ready accessthereto by afiording displacement of the two adjacent partitions 25 inopposite directions, thereby opening out the mouth of the section.

Now, with more particular reference to the group of views shown inFigures 5, 6 and 7,

it will be observed that I have here illustrated a modified, and incertain respects, a simplified form of assembly, comprising among otherthings the two frame members 50 which are preferably made of wire, orthe like, bent to form depressions as shown at 51.

These members 50 are maintained tion against the side walls 11 and 12ably by having the depending legs which are adapted to be supporteddirectly upon the bottom 16 formed with feet 50, outward movement ofsaid legs being prevented by their snug engagement with the corners ofthe drawer, and said feet abutting the bottom of the drawers. Any inwardmovement of the legs which might occur is stopped by the folder members60 and 61.

For providing the desired engagement, preferably frictional betweenthese members 50 and the drawer 10, the leg 53 of each of the members 50is secured variably to the remainder of the member 50 by the means of aconnector 54, into which the abutting ends of the members 50 and 53 areinserted and clamped. By this arrangement the legs 52 and 53, which arepreferably made of spring material, may be adjusted relatively to eachother, and provide not only the aforementioned frictional engagement butalso for variations in the length of the drawer. The depressions 51 aresubstantially in function and broadly in structure similar to thecutaway portions 27 shown in the embodiment of the invention illustratedin Figures 1, 2 and 3, these each comprising the ends 55, 56 and bottom57 which answer to the elements 31, 32 and 40 of the cutaway portions 27of the embodiment first described.

In this simplified form of assembly, the pockets are formed by means offolding members generally indicated at 58 and each of which comprisesthe bottom 59 and the upstanding portions 60 and 61 hinged to suchbottom portion 59, as indicated at 65. In actual practice the basemembers 59 of the pockets 58, when an assembly is sold, have an excesslength, and are of such nature that they may be cut off by the purchaserto fit snugly into the particular drawer which is in posiprefertoreceive the assembly.

As is to be ascertained on inspection of Figure 6, the upstanding wall61 of each folder except the front one is provided on its upper marginwith the reflexively bent reinforcement 62 having the lateralprojections 63 coacting with the end portions 55, 56 of a depression 51in all respects as in similar features of the construction of theembodiment of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The opposite wall 60 is preferably made higher so that it may not onlyserve to carry the indexing characters (if desired) but will servebetter the function of the back wall of a section.

It will be clear that in this embodiment a section 58 and its contentsmay be readily removed from the drawer 10 as a unit.

By providing each of the upstanding walls 60, 61 with the perforated andreinforced tabs 64 to coact with the slot 17 and center rod 18, theresults will be obtained here also that have been set forth inconnection with the similar portions of the device of Figures 1, 2 and3.

Furthermore, the coaction of the centerrod 18, the tabs 64, and thebottom 59 will be such that the bottom 59 will be maintained inhorizontally extended position. This bottom 59 may be cutaway asindicated at 66 to permit the use of guides or the like having the usualdepending center rod.

In Figures 4 and 4 I have shown a modification of a detail ofconstruction in which the bottom 90 of the drawer 91 is provided withtransverse slots 92, 93, shown in vertical section in both directions,in which are received the tabs or projections 94, 95 depending from thepartition 96, and serving to form a pivotal engagement between thepartition 96 and the bottom 90.

Among the advantages of sorting and filing devices embodying the presentinvention are the following:

As each section is a self-contained element, the pressure exerted on anyfolder or other unit in a section can be limited to that of the mass insuch section, since the weight of other material in the receptacle iswithout effect thereupon.

From this it follows that when a thick folder is removed, the partitions25 serve as abutments to prevent the remaining folders from collapsingor falling over.

Thus any possibility of a folder so sagging or crumpling as to'becometurned under in part, or even as it is said crawl out of sight under themass of folders is avoided.

Inasmuch as the weight of the mass of folders is subdivided andsustained by the several partitions 25 the folders may be distributedthrough the receptacle and the pressure on any single folder thereby sogreatly reduced that it may not only be readily removed and replaced,but may even be inspected without removal.

reinforced tabs engaged by the along plane path .Notwithstanding that inthe case of folders the mass of the contents is greater as a ruleadjacent to the bottom rather than toward the top, the consequent angleof tilt increasing from the front to the rear of the receptacle (or viceversa) as the receptacle is filled is spread over a number of sectionsand so largely absorbed.

The partitions 25 being tiltable to and fro, ready access for insertionor removal of a folder into a section is had by mere separation of thetwo adjacent partitions and without the need of moving a follower blocksuch as is commonly employed and without having to shift or pushbackward or forward the intermediate folders.

The spacing of members 22, 23, Figures 1 to 3, and members 59, 59,Figures 5 to 7, is such as to afford slots which are at least as largein area as the slots in the bottoms of the standard filing drawer, orother receptacle.

This ready separation not only affords an adequate spread at the top ofthe partitions for moving the folders but also permits their tops to bepushed backward, so tilting them as to make the reading of index dataand other legends carried thereby very convenient.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A filing device including, in combina tion, a receptacle, a partitionin said receptacle, means for supporting said partition so that aportion thereof may slide to angularly displace the same, the connectionof said partition to said supporting means permitting a bodilysubstantially vertical component of motion of the partition duringangular displacement, and oppositely disposed limit stops supported bythe receptacle for limiting the angular displacement of said portion.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination with areceptacle having a retaining element along its bottom, of a filingstructure including a support adjacent to said retaining element, aplurality of partition members mounted upon said support so as to haveeach a pivotal and vertically displaceable engagement with saidretaining element within predetermined limits permitting the upperportions of the partitions to move 3. In a device of the characterdescribed, a sorting or filing assembly adapted to be placed in positionin a receptacle, said assembly including a plurality of partitions, andmeans for maintaining said partitions in generally spaced relationship,said means permitting combined angular and vertical displacement of eachof said partitions in paths having predetermined limits.

4. In a device of the character described, a sorting or filing assemblyadapted to be placed in position in a receptacle, said assemblyincluding a plurality of partitions, means for pivoting said partitionsand means for maintaining said partitions in generally spacedrelationship, said means being located at the sides of said receptacleand permitting combined angular and vertical displacementof each of saidportions about their respective pivots in paths having predeterminedlimits.

5. In a device of the character described, a sorting or filing assemblyadapted to be placed in position in a receptacle, comprising incombination, a structure composed of a plurality of partition memberspivotally and substantially vertically bodily displaceable to permitouter edges thereof to move in straight lines, and means for maintainingthem in relatively yielding positions comprising side and bottommembers.

6. In a device of the character described, a sorting or filing assemblyadapted to be readily removably placed in position in a receptaole,including, in combination, a plurality of partition members, supportingmeans therefor, and means for fixedly maintaining a portion of thesupporting means of the assembly in position in the receptacle.

7. In a device of the character described, a sorting or filing assemblyadapted to be placed in :osition in a receptacle, including, in cnibination, a plurality of partition members, supporting means therefor,and adjustable means for fixedly maintaining a portion of the supportingmeans of the assembly in position in the receptacle.

8. A filing device comprising in combination with a receptacle,apartition having a hinged and relatively vertically displaceablerelation to the bottom of the receptacle which permits rectilinearmovement of a part of the partition, and means near the top of thereceptaclc for guiding and limiting said movement thereof,

9. A filing device comprising in combinaion with a receptacle, apartition having a hinged and relatively vertically displaceablcrelation to the bottom of the receptacle which permits rectilinearmovement of a part of the partition, and means near the top of thereceptacle for guiding and limiting said movement thereof, saidpartition being movable in continuous contact with said last-mentionedmeans.

10. In a device of the character described, a filing assemblycomprising, in combination with a receptacle, a plurality of uprightpartitions and means for loosely pivoting said partitions in spacedrelationship upon the bottom of the receptacle whereby the upperportions of said partitions may move in a rectilinear plane while beingangularly displaced and means for guiding the upper portions for suchmovement.

11. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, and a filing assembly, comprising supporting means adaptedfor reception in said receptacle, and a plurality of angularlydisplaceable partitions carried by the supporting means and bodilymovable with said supporting means as an assembly, a retaining member insaid receptacle, and said partitions being adapted to pivotally engagesaid retaining member.

12. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, and a filing assembly, comprising supporting means adaptedfor reception in said receptacle, and a plurality of angularlydisplaceable partitions carried by the supporting means, a retaining rodin said receptacle and said partitions being adapted to pivotally engagesaid rod.

13. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, and a filing assembly, comprising supporting means forreception in said receptacle, a plurality of angularly displaceablepartitions carried by the supporting means, a retaining rod in saidreceptacle, and said partitions being adapted to pivotally engage saidrod, and means on said filing assembly, including means on saidpartitions adapted to cooperate to restrict the displacement of thelatter within predetermined limits.

14. In a device of the character described, a filing assembly adaptedfor bodily reception in a container and comprising a plurality ofangularly displaceable partitions adapted to be hingedly connected to apart of the container.

15. In a device of the character described, a filing assembly adaptedfor bodily reception in a container and comprising a plurality ofangularly displaceable partitions adapted to be lnngedly connected to apart of the container, and means on the filing assembly for limitingdisplacement of said partit-ions.

16. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, a filing assembly comprising partitions and side members forreception in said receptacle, said partitions and side members beingcomposed of relatively thin strips whereby to avoid material reductionin the size of said receptacle.

17. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, a filing assembly including side members and movablepartitions for reception in said receptacle, said partition and sidemembers being composed of relatively thin strips whereby to avoidmaterial reduction in the size of said receptacle, a relativelystationary part of said filing assembly being adapted to be placed inengagement with parts of said receptacle for retaining the filingassembly therein.

18. In a device of the character described, in combination, areceptacle, a filing assembly comprising partitions and side members forreception in said receptacle, said partitions and side members beingcomposed of relatively thin strips whereby to avoid material reductionin the size of said receptacle, and means on said partitions forconnecting them with a part of said receptacle.

19. In combination with a filing receptacle having a slot in its bottom,of means for dividing the receptacle into a plurality of compartmentsincluding a bottom wall having two pieces spaced to leave a slottherebetween, of an area at least as large as that of the slot in saidreceptacle, and partitions hinged on said bottom wall.

20. A filing device comprising the combination with a receptacle, of apartition mounted in substantially vertical position 111 saidreceptacle, and means for supporting said partition so that one portionhas pivotal and vertical movement and another portion has horizontalsliding movement relative to said receptacle.

21. A filing device comprising the combination with a receptacle of apartition mounted in said receptacle, and means for supportin the topand bottom edges of said partition so that one of said edges has pivotaland vertical movement and the other edge has bodily horizontal movementrelative to said receptacle.

22. A filing device comprising the combination with a receptacle of apartition mounted in said receptacle, and means for supporting saidpartition at its top and bottom so that its bottom edge has pivotal andvertical movement and its top edge has limited bodily horizontalmovement relative to said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

JOSEPH CONRAD SEYL.

